gleason



(No Model.) 2 sheets-sheen 1;

E. P. GLEASON. DEVICE FOR GONTROLLING THB TENSION OF BELTS 0F SPINNINGFRAMES 0R MULES.

. No. 426,440. Patented Apr. 29, 1890.

(No Mode.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2. E. P. GLEASON. DEVICE POR GONTROLLING THETENSION 0]? BELTS 0F SPINNING FRAMES 0E MULES.

No. 426,440. Patented Apr. Z9, 1890.

A TTH/VEY aan T: s co., vgimmrrn UNITED STATES PATENT OEEIcE.

ELLIOTT GLEASON, OF NETV YORK, N. Y.

DEVICE FOR CONTROLLING THE TENSION 0F BELTS 0F SPINNING FRAMES 0RIVIULES.

SPECIFICATION forminglpart of Letters Patent No. 426,440, dated April29, 1890.

Application filed Tune 3, 1889. Serial No. 312,952. (No model.)

T0 LZZ whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, ELLIOTT P. GLEAsoN, a citizen of Ithe United Statesof America, and a resident of the city, county, and State of New York,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Devices forControlling the Tension of the Spindle Belts of Spinning Frames orMules, of which the following is a specication.

My invention appertains to spinning frames or mules, and relates moreparticularly to the devices for controlling` the tension of the beltsused in driving the whirls or spindles.

Tension devices which are actuated by springs are now known and used inconnection with an endless band that drives a series of spindles. Theseare objectionable, in that the tension produced is variable accordinglyas the spring varies in tension. Moreover, when a spring breaks itinvolves the stopping of the several spindles until the tension devicecan be taken oft, repaired, and replaced.

lt is a common pract-ice to employ weights as the actuating` means forcontrolling the tension of belts used on stationary machinery; but l amnot aware that any attempt has heretofore been made to use weights inconnection with the spindle-belt tension devices of a spinning-mule,which, being a moving machine that travels back and forth on a trackwith considerable speed and is arrested with more or less suddenness ateach end of the track, would cause a weight suspended by a cord in theordinary way from any part of the machine to vibrate so violently that ajerky tension would be produced and other parts of the mechanism of themachine interferedwith. New, the object of my invention is to overcomethese difticulties and to produce a tension-controlling device for thespin- (lle-belts of spinning-mules having a weight as an actuatingforce, thus securing not only evenness of tension, but avoidingliability to accidental breaking' of any part which cannot be quicklyreplaced and without removing the device.

My invention consists in the means whereby hurtful vibration of theweight is prevented, and in the construction, arrangement,v andcombination of parts, as herein after described, and pointed out in theclaims.

In the drawings herewith, forming part of this specification, Figure lis a perspective view of the preferred form of a completebelttension-contiolling device. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of aportion ot' the same, showing other forms of construction of means forpreventing vibration of the weight. Fig. 3 shows one form ofconstruction of the supportingbracket, eyebolt, and thumb-nut. Fig. irepresents a plan view of two sections of a spinning-mule with mybelt-tension-controlling devices connected. Fig. 5 shows another forinof supporting-bracket. Fig. 6 shows a form of friction-washer which maybe used on the eyebolt. Fig. 7 shows another form of eyebolt.

Like letters representsimilar parts in all the iigures.'

A is a bracket provided with the flange a, whereby it is secured to theframe ot the spinning-mule. The arm B, projecting from this iiange asuitable distance, is slotted to receive the eyebolt C, the slot I?being long enough to permit considerable backward or forward adjustmentof the eyebolt C, which is so made that it may be adjusted eitherlengthwise of the seat or in rotary direction and Iirmly clamped to thearm B in the desired position by means of the thumb-nut D, with which itis provided, a shoulder-flange c being formed for this purpose betweenthe eye and the screw-threaded portion d of the bolt. In order to retainstrength and obtain lightness, l make the arm B of the bracket with arib or iiange E around its edge. The eye ein the eyebolt is adapted toreceive the shank F, attaching the arm B and slide-bar G, and in suchmanner that the shank may be adjusted either in rotary or longitudinaldirections and firmly secured in the desired position. It will be seenthat this construction and arrangement admit of universal movement ot'the slide-bar G, so that it may be set in any position or inclinationrequired. This slide-bar G carries the slide-box g, to which thebelttightening pulley H is pivoted. This slidebox g, I prefer to make,as shown, by bending a piece o f sheet metal to 'form three sides ot aparallelogram fitting free but snugly to the slide-bar, but with itssides extending below a sufficient distance to receive the antifrictionrollers 7L h. It is provided with suitable means t'or attaching a cordI, which con- TOO nects the weight c'. An oil cup or chamber .I `theinterior bottom of which forms the step or seat bearing for the end ofthe hub of the pulley H, is firmly fixed to this slide-box C, the studor screw K, forming the pivot for the pulley H, being fixed concentricwithin the chamber.` This stud K has an oil-groove Za around it, formingan annular chamber, communicating with which is the oil-ch annel L, theouter end of which may be enlarged to afford convenience for insertingthe spout of an oilcan. This channel L passes through the interior ofthe head and upper portion of the stud K. The cord I is carried from theslidebox over one or more pulleys Z Z, as the case may be, whether it isdesired to drop the weight from the inner or the outer end of theslide-bar. If from the outer end,but one pulley Z, fixed at the outerend of the slide-bar, is required, the weight then being suspended justbeneath, as indicated by the dotted lines at m, Fig. l; but if from theinner end, as is preferable in most cases, then the other pulley Z isrequired, and in either case a guiding-rod N, upon which the weight c'is made to slide, is firmly xed to the corresponding end of theslide-bar, and this guiding-rod N serves to prevent the vibration of theweight, notwithstanding the shocks consequent upon the change inmotionfof the spinning-mule, the Weight being provided with a guidingchannel or casing mwhich slips snugly but freely over the guiding-rod N.

Other forms. of guiding the weight, and to a greater or less extenteffecting the same result, are shown in Fig. 2, where o represents alever pivoted at one end to a fixed stud P, the free end of whichcarries the weight z', and at the dottedlilies R showing also how theeffect may in a measure be secured by the arrangementof the cord Ithrough a pulley on the weight z'.

It will be apparent that when the eyebolt C and shank F are in properposition they must be rigidly secured so that they will remain so. Aset-screw, as shown at T, Fig. l, made to screw through the eye-body ofthe eyebolt against the shank F, will hold said shank firmly inposition, and the nut D, when screwed up tight, will clamp the bracketbetween itself and the shoulder C of the eyebolt, thus holding theeyebolt firmly in position; but I prefer either of the forms shown byFigs. 5, 6, and 7, which are modifications of the bracket and eyeboltthat may be used, if desired.

S is a washer having projections raised -on one side, said projectionshaving curved indentures in their outer faces made to fit the curve ofthe shank F. This washer (shown by Fig. (i) may be, as shown in Fig. 7,used instead of the set-screw T (shown in Fig. l) to clamp the shankfirmly in position by placing itv between the slotted arm of the bracketA and the shank F, the shank F resting in the curved indentures ofthesaid projections. Thus arranged, it will seem that when the nut D ofthe eyebolt C is screwed up tight the washer S will be firmly clampedbetween the arm Band the shank F. by the shank will be held firmly inwhatever position it may be placed by reason of the clamping-pressure.

At Fig. 5 another construction of the arm B is shown. This constructionsomewhat limits the range of movement of the shank F. In this case rim Eof the bracket-arm B is provided on one or both sides with a series ofcurved depressions corresponding to the curved surface of the shank F,into one of which the shank itself is clamped against the side of thebracket-arm B by the screwing up of the nut on the eyebolt D, and thusis firmly held in position.

The complete tension-controlling device (indicated by V in Fig. 4) isattached to the frame of the spinning-mule in such position that thebeltU can be trained around its pulley H, thence successively around anidler w,a spindle-whirl, the driving drum or pulley y, back aroundanother spindle-whirl then again around the drum or pulley y', and so onuntil the whole series of spindlewhirls are embraced, then aroundanother idler z, and back to the pulley H, there joining in onecontinuous belt, which is maintained in even tension by the gravitationof the weight actuating the slide-box g through the cord I, so that itis drawn outward on the slide-bar G whenever any stretching of the beltoccurs.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is-

l. A device for controlling the tension ot' the spindle-belts onspinning frames or mules, consisting of a slotted bracket, as A, aneyebolt, as C, having the nut D, a shank, as F,

supporting the slide-bar G, a slide-bar, as G,

provided with the pulley Z, a slide-box, as g, carrying thebelt-tightening pulley H, a cord, as I, connecting the slide-box toaweight, and the weight, as t', the said parts all being combined andarranged substantiallyin the manner and for the purpose described.

2. In a device for controlling the tension of the spindle-belts ofspinning frames or mules, a tightening-pulley, as H, pivot, as K, havingthe groove 7c, forming an annular chamber, and an interior oil-channelL, in combination with a sliding support, as the box g, having anoil-cup J, the chamber-bot` tom of which serves as the seat or bearingfor the hub of the pulley H,substantially as and for the purpose setforth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I have signed myname, in presence of two witnesses, this 15th day of February, 1889.

ELLIOTT I. GLEASON.

Witnesses:

F. W. BELMONT, F. A. WETTACH.

There- IOO IIO

